"I told him, 'Don't say hello to him": Fabio Fognini shares why his son is 'angry' with him ahead of Carlos Alcaraz clash at Wimbledon

Italy’s Fabio Fognini has revealed that his son got angry with him because of his Wimbledon first-round opponent, Carlos Alcaraz. The 38-year-old will begin his journey in the third Grand Slam of the year on Monday against the defending champion.

Fognini has spoken to Spanish media outlet AS, where he revealed why his son got angry with him. Fognini stated that as soon as the draw came out, his son wanted to come to the arena to watch his favourite player, Alcaraz. Fognini said that he asked his son not to greet Alcaraz, who would be his opponent on the day, which did not go down well with his son.

“Two days ago, when the draw came out, my son called me and said, 'Dad, see, you're playing against Carlitos.' And I said, 'Yes, do you want to come?' 'Yes, yes, yes, I'm coming, I'm coming.' And Flavia, also with the little girl, is coming to watch the game. Now, when we saw him [Alcaraz], I told him, 'Don't say hello to him, because he's my opponent tomorrow,' and he got angry,” he said. “Federico [his son] likes Carlitos the most, so I think it's a big deal for them too. He's eight years old and he'll remember it, that's the best thing I could ask for.”

This will be the third meeting between the two players in professional tennis. In both of the previous meetings, Alcaraz came out on top. However, despite that, Fognini remains confident about his chances against the five-time Grand Slam winner. Fognini believes it is better to play tournament favourites in the early rounds, as they are most vulnerable at that time.

“I've always said that the best players, even in my time—Rafael, Roger, and Nole—are best found early in the tournament,” he said. “Because they start. He's coming off a Queen's tour, and we're talking about the best now. But it's better to find these types of players now, because the first match is always tough, and I have nothing to lose. My goal is to enjoy it and show that I can play, and I think I've already proven that. But I'd like something more, because on a stage like this, I'd love it.”

Fognini also noted that watching Alcaraz and Sinner dominate men’s tennis reminds him of his era, when Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic were virtually unstoppable for a significant part of two decades. “What he's [Alcaraz] achieving, alongside Jannik [Sinner] , is like seeing a little bit of my era, that of Rafa [Nadal] and Roger [Federer] with Nole [Djokovic]. So at this point, it's a nice reward. I hope I enjoy it as much as I can and play a good match; that's the most important thing.”